Safety-track for railroads.



c. R. HOWARD.

SAFETY TRACK FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1910.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

lJl llTE CHARLES R. HOWARD, OF ROSENDALE, NEW YORK.-

SAFETY-TRACK FOR R-AILBOADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed August 12, 1910. Serial No. 576,925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES R. Howann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rosendale, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Tracks for Railroads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the road beds of rail roads; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed whereby derailed cars are prevented from wholly leaving the road bed and are returned aut0- matically to the track rails. These devices are specially itel ul in freight yards, and in the yards around mines and blast-furnaces where light cars are used which frequently leave the track rails in shunting; nels, and on bridges.

In the d awings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the road bed and rails. Fig. 2 1s a cross-section taken on the line in Fig. 1, and is drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the road bed showing an end portion of one of the guide-rails. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the track showing the rail spikes.

l3 are two metallic base plates which are secured to cross-ties A or to any other suit able foundation.

C are the usual track rails which are secured to the middle parts of the base plates. The base plates are made in suitable lengths arranged end to end. and they are arranged to extend continuously under the track rails for any required distance.

Each base plate B has a guard rail I) at one of its side edges, and this guard rail has a lip 7) on one side of its top part next to the track rail. The two guard rails 7) are preferably arranged at the adjacent edges of the two base plates, so that they come between the two track rails; and the guard rails are higher than the track rails. The base plates have lips (Z on their inner sides; and D are spikes for engaging with the lips (Z and with the outer edges of the base plates and securing the base plates to the ties.

E are spikes which secure the track rails and the base plates to the ties.

E are distance-pieces.

also in tun In order to enable derailed cars to be replaced 011 the track rails, the main portions of the track rails have gaps between the sections of one of the rails, at intervals, and the end portions 1* of the rail sections at each side of the gap are tapered. One of the track rails is continuous, having its sections arranged with their ends close adj acent to each other; and the other track rail is provided with gaps at intervals of its length opposite the continuous rail,

G is a guide rail the middle part of which is arranged in the gap between the end portions F. This guide rail has inclined portions 9 arranged parallel to the tapered end portions F of the track rails, and this guide rail has its main portions 9 arranged parallel to the main portions of the track rails.

The main portions 9 are of the same width as the parts 9 for the greater part of their length, but they are tapered on their top sides at their outer end portions 72, and their extreme ends it are beveled laterally on the side next to the track ails.

H are short guide rails secured to the base plate at each end of the guide rail Gr. These guide rails H are narrow and are shaped like double wedges. The straightside of each short rail H is arranged nextto the track rail, and the thickest part of each ail H is arranged a little beyond the extreme end 9 of: the guide rail. The other track rail is provided with two guide rails I. The adjacent end portions 27 of the rails I are inclined, and they are tapered at 2" on the side next to the track rails. The guide rails I are arranged between the track rails and the guard rails 7) at one side of the track; and the guide rails G and H are arranged between the track rail and the outer edge of the base plate at the other side of the track,

The outer end portions of the guide rails I are tapered on their top sides; and

their extreme ends 7" are beveled laterally on the side next to the guard rail 6.

When the wheels K of a car are. derailed, as shown in Fig. 1, the flange of the wheel which has jumped the track rail comes in contact with the lip b of the adjacent guard rail 6 which prevents itt'rom leaving the road bed altogether, or the ties. The flanges of the car wheels run along the Hat base plates, and are guided by the guard rails in a line parallel to the trom bumping on track rails. Then the car wheels meet the short guide rails H, they are guided by them, so that the car wheels run up the inclined portions h and j of the guide rails G and I onto the main portions of the said guide rails. The car wheels run along the main portions of the guide rails G and I which are of about the same height as the track rails, and are guided back onto the track rails by the inclined portions 9 and i of the said guide rails.

The guard rails may be formed integral with the base plates, as shown, or they may be secured to the base plates in any other approved way. The guide rails may be formed of any desired length and proportion and are preferably proportionately longer than shown in the drawings. These guard rails may also be connected with an annunciator or call bell in any approved manner, so as to give notice when a car wheel strikes the guard rail.

What I claim is:

1. In a rail road, the combination, with two base plates provided with guard rails, of a continuous track rail secured to one base plate, avsectional track rail secured to the other base plate and forming a gap, and guide rails provided with inclined portions and secured to the said base plates, one of the said guide rails having a portion of its length arranged in the said gap of the sectional traci: rail.

2. In a. rail road, the combination, with two base plates arranged parallel to each other and having guard rails, of track rails secured to the middle parts of the base plates, one of the said track rails being formed in sections and having a gap between its sections, a guide rail having a main portion arranged parallel to one track rail section and having a portion arranged in the said gap and having also an inclined portion, and a second guide rail having its main portion arranged adjacent to the continuous track rail and having an inclined portion arranged parallel to the inclined portions of the first said guide rail, said guide railsbeing secured to the said base lates and being adapted to return a derailed car to the track rails.

3. In a rail road, the combination, with two base plates arranged parallel to each other and having guard rails, of track rails secured to the middle parts of the base plates, one of the said track rails being formed in sections and having a gap between its sections, a guide rail having a main portion arranged parallel to one track rail section and having a portion arranged in the said gap and having also an inclined portion, a second guide rail having its main portion arranged adjacent to the continuous track rail and having an inclined portion arranged parallel to the inclined portion of the first said guide rail, and a short guide rail shaped like a double wedge and having one side flat and arranged adjacent to one track rail section beyond one end of the first said guide rail, said guide rails being secured to the said base plates and being adapted to return a derailed car to the track rails.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES It. HOIVARD.

Witnesses:

JOEL R. BEARD, JAMES MILLER. 

